Monthly Archives: January 2008

During my normal everyday walk to school in the early morning the temperature was abnormally chilly. 25 below zero with a 100 mile an hour winds. I bundled up with a hat, mittens, scarf, and a huge coat. Still, I was freezing. My legs were in pain they were so cold. With ten blocks left to go I just couldn’t bare to stop walking, not even to look both ways before crossing the street. I felt that because I was walking I had the right to go, so I stupidly walked right in front of a cab. The driver laid on his horn but I continued walking. Maybe it was because I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing, I was thinking about how much I wanted to be a large fat man with a giant beard. My face felt naked, cold and numb. So numb that there could have been snot smeared all over my face and I wouldn’t have known. Maybe I kept walking because I was concentrating hard on a large women standing on the opposite side of the street, her bright pink winter hat with a giant puffy ball sitting right on top holding on for dear life as it blew it the strong wind gusts. Maybe my legs were so cold they stopped listening to my brain and didn’t want to stop moving. Maybe I kept walking because the cold actually made me delusional…

The cab driver wasn’t amused. He honked again, this time waving his naughty finger while screaming something I did not hear. I am pretty sure he wasn’t complimenting me on my cute mittens…

…Without even thinking I looked right at him and laughed. Not just any laugh. I did not keep this laugh to myself. Belly laughter. I tilted my head back and laughed loudly. As I walked away I couldn’t help but think to myself, “what in the world is wrong with me?” Being flicked off isn’t usually funny. Maybe I thought it was funny that a man could get that upset over something so small. I don’t know, there is just something about a large man screaming and getting all worked up over a little girl crossing the street. He should save that worked up energy for those times when he actually has something to be worked up for, like, say, a tragedy.

I learned my lesson nonetheless. Always look both ways no matter how cold, delusional, or distracted by the large hot pink hat, or thoughts about what it would be like to be a 300 pound man with a beard.

Recently, I have stopped using plastic bags. It has gotten some getting used to, every once and a while I forget that to ask the cashier not to bag my things. I hope to give up plastic bags for good. I never want to use one again, ever.

Plastic bags are choking the planetStores everywhere hand out these “free” bags. These bags come at a large cost, for both the consumer and the environment.

Facts

Each year billions of plastic bags end up as ugly litter

Eventually they break down into tiny toxic bits polluting our soil, river, lakes and ocean

Production requires vast amounts of oil

Annual cost to US retailers alone is estimated at $4 billion

When retailers give away free bags, their costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Turtles think the bags are jellyfish, their primary food source. Once swallowed, plastic bags choke animals or block their intestines, leading to an agonizing death.

On land, many cows, goats and other animals suffer a similar fate to marine life when they accidentally ingest plastic bags while foraging for food.

In a landfill, plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade. As litter, they breakdown into tiny bits, contaminating our soil and water.

Collection, hauling and disposal of plastic bag waste create an additional environmental impact. An estimated 8 billion pounds of plastic bags, wraps and sacks enter the waste stream every year in the US alone, putting an unnecessary burden on our diminishing landfill space and causing air pollution if incinerated.

Recycling requires energy for the collection, processing, etc. and doesn’t address the above issues. To learn more visit Recycling Can Fix This, Right?

Just Say No ThanksNext time you are purchasing something just let the cashier know that you do not need a bag. I try and do this each and every time I purchase things. Most of the time the cashier looks as me as though I am crazy. These bags are so convenient, that is true. In the end, I do not feel that the convenience is worth all the terrible consequences.B.Y.O.B.Bring Your Own Bag. If you feel that you cannot carry all your purchased items, do not give in to the plastic bag. Totes solve your problem. Besides that, they are so much cuter than plastic.

Since I work with kids, I love making them guess. Most of the time they just assume I am the same age as their mom or dad. Or, they think I am great deal younger. Kids never seem to get it right on. Honestly, I love it when I get asked this question. I get the most hilarious answers. Because of this I will never just simply tell a child how old I am. I will always keep them guessing.

Me: ” My birthday is coming up!”

7-year-old: “Are you married yet?”

Me: (thinking that I am not sure what that has to do with my birthday) “No. Not yet”

7-year-old: “You are suppose to get married for your birthday”

Me: “Which birthday?”

7-year-old: “When you turn 30”

Me: “How old do you think I am?”

7-year-old: “29”

Me: “I am actually younger than that”

7-year-old: “How old?”

Me: “Guess” (my favorite part)

7-year-old: “15”

Me: (thinking, how did this child go from 29 to 15) “Actually, I’m 21”

7-year-old: “You should find someone to be your husband, so you can get married when you turn 30”

It’s official. I can legally drink. Hip, hip, hooray!
For my 21st birthday I received many gifts, a lot of them were alcohol. The most unique would have to be the tini-basket. Put together so I could have a martini picnic.
This basket had everything I needed to make my first legal drink. Along with the alcohol, the martini glasses, and the shaker. This basket also contained a blanket, appletini lip gloss, martini napkins, martini picks (for the garnishes) This basket was perfect.

The glasses and the shaker are made by Lolita. Adorable and hand-painted. Each glass has a drink recipe on the bottom which is very convenient. I highly suggest checking her website out, these glasses and accessories make great gifts. I myself want to start a collection of these masterpieces.

~A brilliant way to recycle old shirts~This is for you ladies out there who have out grown a shirt or two. Maybe it’s your favorite shirt and you just can’t find it in yourself to get rid of it. Now you will be able to wear that shirt you have grown attached to again! You won’t get to wear it as a shirt, but ship it off to Solojones and they will transform your favorite shirt into adorable, unique, panties. Yes, thats right. Panties. What a wonderful idea! If you love your t-shirt and you love panties, then this is perfect for you.

I can’t think of a better way to wear my old shirts. I have yet to ship my shirts off but when I do, I will post before and after pictures. I might have a hard time keeping my pants on, I’ll want to show them off to the world. For the worlds sake, I will try to restrain myself. I make no promises.

I am not planning on being a stripper there for I do not care what Facebook thinks my stripper name should be.

I do not being poked, slapped, spanked, kicked or punched. So no, I will not add the super poke application.

If I didn’t tell you. I am not interested in you. You don’t need the application to confirm that.

Why would I want an aquarium on my Facebook? I fail to see the point.

Virtual kissing with virtual mistletoe is lame.

You’re purple? Thats great. I don’t care.

Every time my mood changes don’t expect me to go on Facebook and update my feelings. There is a good chance if I add that application my mood will stay the same for months at a time which would not be true.

No, I do not accept your growing tree gift. And I will never send you a cactus.

Bumper stickers are ugly, they look bad on cars and even worse on Facebook.

Whats so special about the “super wall” I already have a wall. What more do I need?

“How Sexy Are You?” I am sexy. I will not add a Facebook application that just states the obvious.

I am sorry but there is no way that your Facebook page can be “green” If you want to save the planet go outside and pick up some trash.

If you are going to plan an event don’t invite every single person on your friends list. There is a good chance you haven’t talked to most of them since high school anyway. Only invite the friends you actually want to show up.

Why do I have to scroll down past 20 stupid applications to write on your wall?

A Gymnastics Coaches Blog
Last Thursday I was coaching a girl named Lizzie. Lizzie is 13. I like her, she talks in a funny accent that I can’t get enough of. When she talks I listen and try not to laugh at her because of her accent, but it’s just so cute. She isn’t very talented in the sport but she wants to be. Sometimes she stops practicing and just watches in awe at anyone in the gym that is better than her, this happens a lot. I have a hard time teaching her because she doesn’t like to do what I ask her without a fight. She tells me things like, “Don’t ask me to do that, I’ll never be able to get it right” or she just looks at me, raises an eyebrow and shakes her head as if I am crazy. The truth is, I might be crazy. She isn’t good. That doesn’t mean I can just stop coaching her. I have to try. On Thursday, I lost patience. I didn’t yell at her but I felt like it. I let her bad attitude get to me. I think she knew it too. There are two words that I don’t ever want to hear while I am coaching and those words are “can’t” and “hate” Lizzie uses these words often. I try to ignore it. I try to pretend it doesn’t bother me, last Thursday it did. I had enough, I had asked her to do a trick she has done a thousand times before, something that could always use a little more practice. She refused. I told her it wasn’t an option. She said ” I can’t do it because I HATE it” I wanted to explode. “Fine” I said, “Don’t do it then. Don’t do anything, why don’t you just go sit down” This comment upset her. I could tell because then she said “Coach Annette, you aren’t suppose to give up on me” It’s a good thing she didn’t hear what I was actually thinking, which was, I’m glad you hate it, because you aren’t good at it. I hated myself for thinking that.